Referendum rejected: Government rejects plans despite majority support

SPAIN’S central government has rejected plans to hold a referendum over Catalan independence, despite claims almost eight out of 10 Catalans back the idea.

Politicians claim a vote would not decide the matter and would only serve to deepen division in the region.

However, a survey by the Generalitat’s Centre for Opinion Studies (CEO) reportedly shows 78.8 per cent of those living in Cataluña would like a say; an increase from the 71.4 per cent who showed support for a referendum in 2017.

The boost in support for a vote over the future of the region is thought to have been influenced by an ongoing court case investigating those accused of illegally organising a Catalan referendum in 2017.